The Queen's Gambit Review - 8 Ups & 1 Down

7. Well-polished Production Values

The Queen’s Gambit is one of the most perfectly constructed pieces of television to come out in a long time, in that pretty much every element of the production is absolutely fantastic.

Some of the best pieces of the production include the kinetic and entertaining editing, (including some beautifully pieced together montages), some very lush cinematography, the grand and operatic score composed by Carlos Rafael Rivera and the solid and beautiful production and costume design. All this makes The Queen’s Gambit a series that feels properly cinematic in a way that television often does not.

A quick piece of trivia for you too - the costume design is so clever that if you look closely, you will notice that Beth’s costumes often resemble Chess pieces in themselves.

What’s really remarkable about this series, however, is that it has the restraint to not go over-the-top with its visual and stylistic flourishes. The series strikes an absolutely pitch-perfect balance between style and substance, something that many TV shows before it have tried and failed to achieve.